Back Philanthropy Advisor - Individual Major Donors

Context

MSF is a non-profit, international, independent, medical-humanitarian organization providing assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. MSF’s teams are made up of health professionals, logisticians and administrative personnel, guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. MSF was founded in 1971 in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors. Today, it is a worldwide movement of more than 42,000 people, including staff in headquarters and in the field.

MSF Switzerland was created in 1981 and it is headquartered in Geneva. The Philanthropy Unit is one of the eight units at the Communications and Fundraising Department. It is composed of 18 people and it raised CHF 72M in 2021. To ensure a good geographical coverage of the Swiss fundraising market, the Unit is divided into two offices: Geneva and Zurich. The Unit’s mission is to strengthen MSF’s relationship with its private major supporters, including wealthy individuals, companies, foundations, and other philanthropic organisations. It also manages grants and donations from Swiss cantons and communes. Last but not least, it is also in charge of legacy fundraising, including management of heritages as well as contacts with potential legators and confirmed bequestors.

Mission

Secure and grow income for MSF from individual Major Donors in German speaking Switzerland and Liechtenstein through identification, research, qualification, cultivation, submitting asks and stewardship of Major Donors.

The Philanthropy Advisor is personally responsible for raising funds from her/his pool of individual Major Donors in the German speaking part of Switzerland. Together with the Team Coordinator, she/he contributes to upgrading supporters from the middle giver programme into Major Donors, bringing them closer to MSF’s social mission, including through organizing bilateral meetings with MSF staff, providing information on MSF projects and priorities and organizing webinars and events for donors. He/she contributes actively to ensure that the Team uses the Customer Relationship Database effectively and makes best use of prospect research.

Your responsibilities

Qualification, cultivation and stewardship

· Manages a portfolio of Major Donors

· Is accountable to deliver the best possible experience to MSF key donors in order to increase their engagement.

· Qualify each Major Donor and Major Donor prospect, in close cooperation with the Prospect Researcher

· Closely liaise with the Middle Donor manager to identify and update potential Major Donors

· Prepare and facilitate one to one meetings, calls, presentations and other meaningful interactions with Major Donors or representatives (lawyers, wealth managers, etc.)

· Establish relations with new potential Major Donors, including high-potential middle givers and other prospects, including ultra-high-net-worth individuals, to secure significant future support for MSF’s work

· Interact and collaborate with key spokespersons within MSF (President, General Director, Director of Operations, other management team members), as well as field staff, with the aim of bringing donors closer to the organisation in an attempt to show them our live saving mission and work in the projects.

· Define, propose and organise visits to MSF offices and projects, in line with MSF criteria and guidance

· Ensure that the nature / identity of donors is in line with MSF gifts acceptance policy.

· Ensure that the moves management runs smoothly, and donors are thanked and steward properly.

· Liaise with Writing Officers for the preparation, including proof reading and editing, of project briefings, reports, proposals, slideshows, infographics and any other creative way of presenting MSF and its mission to high-net-worth individuals.

· Liaise with the Direct Marketing team to adequately leverage marketing appeals.

Solicitation

· Present and defend MSF’s cases for support to individual Major Donors in German speaking Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

· Ensure that the Major Donors journey strategy is followed and that Major Donors are solicited according to their motivations in a personalised way while abiding to MSF principles for ethical fundraising.

Information and data management

· Closely work with the Fundraising Systems Team to ensure most efficient use of Customer Relationship Management Database; assume the role of a Database Key User

Others

· Participate in the Community of Practice for Individual Major Donors of the Philanthropy Unit.

· Participate in the international MSF working groups for Individual Major Donors

· Work proactively on projects as needed in the Unit, upon request by her/his supervisor.

Your Profile

Education:

· University degree in Business Management, Marketing, Communications, Political Science, Law, International Relations or equivalent

Experience:

· Minimum of 4 years of professional experience in similar functions or in the fields of high-level relational skills, like public relations or ultra-high-net wealth management or sales/marketing/communications

· Experience in using Microsoft Dynamics or other Customer Relationship Manager System: a plus

· Humanitarian or social experience: a plus

Technical skills:

· Proven writing skills (drafting and editing)

· Excellent in oral public presentations

· Excellent knowledge of the Windows environment (Word, Excel, Power Point) and databases

Languages and communication:

· (Swiss) German, English

· Good understanding of French

· Italian: a plus

Personal qualities:

· Excellent interpersonal skills

· At ease in interaction with a wide range of personalities of diverse backgrounds

· Respectful curiosity

· Persuasive and representation skills

· Proactive, dynamic and autonomous

· Rigorous and good organizational skills

· Empathic, enthusiastic, goal-oriented

· Team spirit

Terms of Employment

· Open-ended contract,

· Full-time, 100%

· Working place : Zürich,

· Ideal start date: April 1st, 2022

· Gross annual salary: from CH 83’808.- to CHF 96’492.- (salary commensurate with equivalent experience and internal salary grid)